Robotic Surgery
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Technology has played a major role in all aspects of our lives, from transport to communication, to our daily survival and even health care. Over the years, technology has made the medical system much better, as more research has led to many positive results in health management.
In healthcare, technology has played a major role in improving healthcare, from virtual reality to precision, from the development of artificial organs to sex change to wireless brain sensors and even robotic surgery.
Robotic surgery or robot-assisted surgery, as it is also called, is simply the use of robotic equipment for surgical procedures. Robotic surgery is most commonly used in minimally invasive surgery. Minimally invasive surgery simply refers to surgical procedures designed to reduce the size of the incision made during surgery. In minimally invasive surgery, the surgeon can use miniaturised instruments to perform surgery with small incisions and achieve the same results as open surgery. Minimally invasive surgery allows for a shorter wound healing period because the wound is smaller than with open surgery. In addition, minimally invasive surgery has a low risk of infection and pain for the patient because of the small incision.
It should also be noted that minimally invasive surgery usually involves the use of tiny cameras and tubes.
In robotic surgery, the surgeon performs the operation using a console connected to main controllers that can control about four robotic arms. The surgeon performs the operation by viewing a three-dimensional image on the console, which allows him to clearly see the surgical procedure being carried out. In robotic surgery, the software plays an important role in allowing the surgeon to follow the procedure and give the instructions that control the robotic arms. Instruments that the surgeon would have used in open surgery are attached to the robotic arms, while the surgeon controls the robotic arms to perform the operation. The movements of the robotic arms are similar to those of the hand and are very precise.
Some examples of conditions that have been treated with the robotic surgery procedure are:
thyroid (neck) cancer
oropharyngeal cancer
Orthopaedic surgery
Organ transplant
Gastrointestinal
Cardiac surgery.
Robotic surgery has many advantages, including the following:
It has a shorter recovery time
It is a less painful procedure compared to the open surgery procedure.
It reduces the risk of infection for the patient because the wound is small.
Blood loss is also reduced due to the small incisions.
Furthermore, robotic surgery reduces the length of time the patient has to stay in hospital because the wounds are smaller.
The patient is also more likely to retain small scars than with open surgery.
Robotic surgery also has disadvantages, including the following:
Robotic surgery is more expensive than open-heart surgery.
Another problem with robotic surgery is the latency of the movement, as the robotic arms need time to follow the surgeon’s instructions.
Robotic surgery is one of technology’s greatest gifts to healthcare.
